stop

Stop is a common verb meaning to cease moving, acting, or progressing, and it also functions as a noun denoting a pause or halt. As an imperative, it can be issued to restrain actions or movements. The concept of stopping appears in many phrases, such as stop sign, bus stop, or non-stop service, illustrating its role in directing behavior and schedules.

In transportation and infrastructure, a stop refers to a designated place where vehicles halt to pick up or discharge passengers, such as a bus stop or a train stop. A stop sign is a traffic control device requiring drivers to come to a full stop at intersections. Non-stop describes services that do not make intermediate calls. Stops can be scheduled or unscheduled in rail, air, and road transportation.

In technology, stop is used to indicate terminating a process or operation, as in a stop command or a stop button on devices. In computing, a stop signal can halt program execution. In music, a stop has specialized meanings: organ stops control the timbre of pipes, and to stop a string instrument means to shorten the vibrating length by pressing the string against a fret or fingerboard, thereby changing pitch and tone. Overall, stopping reflects a transition from action to pause, completion, or a change of state.